Re: Going Solo

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On 10/23/06, JF wrote:
> Being well-financed is crucial to any business. Make sure you
> have enough money to pay the bills for a while (business and
> personal), because it will take a long time before you're up and
> running the way you need to be. Hopefully you have an
> understanding spouse with a good job....
>
> I've often written my ideas on obtaining business, but the one I
> will stress again today is to get active with the Chamber of
> Commerce,and maybe one other local civic organization. Usually,
> many of the other active members are local big-shots, and you
> can get very cozy with them, which can only help - they tend to
> take care of each other. Also, when it comes to referral time,
> whoever runs the Chamber will remember the people who volunteer
> for them.
>
> You can't just sit around and wait for the phone to ring. This
> is how many solos fail; they're not out there grabbing the bull
> by the horns. It reminds me of someone in my town who tried
> starting a practice. She put flyers on all the cars in the
> municipal parking lot (including mine). I never saw her making
> herself public - no local events, no volunteer activities, no
> seminars. She expected people to call her because of a flyer.
> She lasted less than a year.
>
> Like Jay Foonberg said, getting business means persistence,
> persistence, persistence. Jump in there and force people to know
> you. Nobody else will.
>
> Good luck.
I agree, you have to have face time. It helps if it's a close
community and you are a native, but that is not crucial if you're
willing to do the leg work. Do you have a job that you can start
doing some legal work on the side to get established while still
working there? I've known people who just start building a client
base with things like leases, wills, title searches, etc in the
evening and weekends. We actually had a will party, got a bunch
of friends and neighbors together, (no drinking till after the
will was signed). Had private room with computer and printer, as
long as the will was simple could just print it right up and sign
it there. there's no law that says you have to do documents in
your office. also, if you make house calls for things like wills,
POAs etc. you will become well known in the community. Make it a
habit to go to court even if you don't have a case, so they get to
know you around the court house too. the staff can sometimes make
or break you. or just build up a war chest while you're at the
steady job. But if you have a client base going and get some
court appointed criminal work, you should be able to at least pay
the rent if you're careful.
>
> On 10/23/06, Solo to be... wrote:
>> Carol: thanks for the response. The plan is to open a general
>> practice shop. Follow up question: any advise as to how the
>> lessen the blow of going from a siutaiton of steady paycheck
> to
>> no clients/no paycheck?